Aniesa is joined by mentor Archie in this episode to debunk many of the myths and misconceptions surrounding autism. They talk about the most common ones they have heard and discuss what might be the reasons behind them.

COMMON MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT AUTISM

• Autistic people are introverted and anti-social: It’s actually difficulty with understanding social cues that might make autistic people seem this way and often autistic people need more processing time after social situations.
• Autism is a boy’s condition: This is not true at all, boys generally are just diagnosed more easily and more often than girls.
• Autism should be cured: Autism is part of who someone is, it’s not inherently a disability and isn’t something to cure.
• Autism is caused by bad parenting: Research proves that this is not true at all.
• You can grow out of autism: Not true even though there is a lot of focus on children and young people. There is a large number of adults who have never been diagnosed.
• Autism is bad: This is just the stigma around autism, it does not mean that you or your brain is ‘bad’
• All autistic people have superpowers: Autistic people can have extra abilities and capabilities, but this isn’t the case for most autistic people, what is more common is the concept of special interests, something you know a lot about or are really good at.
• Autism is caused by the MMR vaccine: All research firmly states that this is not the case, the original study was scientifically flawed, and the scientist was biased.
• Autistic people can’t show or feel empathy: Empathy may look differently for those who are autistic, but they are certainly capable of feeling and showing empathy.
• Autistic people don’t have emotions: Some autistic people might not express their emotions in the same way as neurotypical people, but this doesn’t mean they don’t experience them.

BEST MOMENTS

“It’s a representation of the diagnostic criteria, not a representation of actual autism”

“When it comes to the idea of curing autism it kind of perpetuates the medical model of disability”

“Autism is a way of being, a way of seeing the world”

“We need to now be looking at the 50/60/70 year old autistic people”

“It’s amazing how that one person can just have such a huge impact”

“That can be a boundary for getting diagnosed, not being able to express normative emotions”

CONTACT METHOD

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ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.